Members of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance have taken action with the hope of reducing the number of abusive college relationships, encouraging University students to get involved in the fight against violence.
In a press conference yesterday, members of the Alliance's Red Flag Campaign? discussed their aim to raise awareness about dating violence, which, according to Alliance spokesperson Kate McCord, affects one in five college relationships. In an effort to raise interest among students, Campaign members placed small red flags around Grounds prior to displaying the Red Flag Campaign posters.
The Campaign is designed "to transform social conditions that support and condone partner violence," McCord said,
McCord explained the Campaign seeks not only to inform people in abusive relationships about where they can get help, but also to increase "bystander intervention," whereby peers who see warning signs in their friends' relationships intervene to stop the violence.
"The Red Flag Campaign asks that we speak up and speak out," said Claire Kaplan, University Women's Center director of sexual and domestic violence services.
Though statistics report 21 percent of college relationships are abusive, only four University students sought assistance last year, suggesting many incidents go unreported, Kaplan said.
Kaplan said she believes one reason for low reporting rates is that students think domestic violence only happens to older, married couples. In reality, she said, it happens in college relationships all too frequently.
"This particular age group is at a much higher risk," Alliance representative Liz Cascone said. "They don't get as many resources."
Kaplan said the goal of the Campaign is for students to understand "when you see a red flag, say something."
Rachel Forse, co-chair of the University Sexual Assault Leadership Council, spoke about other ways in which students can get involved, noting that SALC offers a variety of options for students to help raise student awareness of partner violence.
Efforts against violence received additional support yesterday as John Johnson, director of corporate communications for Verizon Wireless, presented a grant of $5,000 from Verizon to the University Women's Center to help fund a men's leadership program in which undergraduate males undergo training to then help young boys become peer leaders and resist negative social and cultural pressures that could lead them to become abusers.
Verizon also donated $10,000 to Shelter for Help in Emergency, a Charlottesville-based domestic violence service provider, to help fund the construction of an emergency residential shelter.
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